Sala Thai at Santiburi Koh Samui has lifted Thai dining to the next level with an innovative new menu. Carolynne Dear flew in for a taste test
Sala Thai serves an innovative menu using ingredients sourced within 100 miles of the restaurant
As hotels increasingly embrace a more ecological way of operating, one Thai resort has thrown caution to the wind and launched a 100 Miles Dining Programme.
The sustainable approach has been developed by Sala Thai, a Thai fine dining restaurant at Santiburi Koh Samui, a well-established resort on the Thai island’s north coast. The new approach means that ingredients must be sourced from within a 100-mile radius of the resort.
The 100 Miles Dining Programme underlines the resort’s commitment to sustainability and its close connection to the local community since opening more than 30 years ago. Each ingredient is wild-caught or harvested using natural techniques and supports local fishermen, farmers and small-scale growers.
The idea has been instigated and developed by resort general manager Giulio Stix who wanted to explore more innovative Thai dishes away from the standard street food-style fare that usually fills Thai hotel menus.
“This is a true celebration of the rich flavours and traditions of Thailand,” he explained. “By sourcing ingredients from local fishermen and farmers, we are not only ensuring the highest quality for our guests but also supporting the local community and embracing sustainable practices.”
It’s a win, win for all concerned, including the Sala Thai chefs who have used their creative flair to come up with a series of locally-inspired dishes. I was invited to try the 100 Miles Dining Experience at Sala Thai during a recent trip to Koh Samui and there was not a Pad Thai in sight.
The five-course meal started with Surat Thani oysters harvested from a local farm and handpicked by the chef, followed by a wild-caught Samui lobster carpaccio with Tom Yum caviar. We enjoyed a Samui mackerel consomme, not a fish I would normally have associated with the tropics, but the show-stealer for me were the melt-in-the-mouth Thai Wagyu beef cheeks served with a local squash mousse.
Further delicacies included Samui red snapper, ordered from a local fisherman, in a yellow curry Surat crab sauce and we finished with a divine dish of caramelised Lady Finger bananas grown on the mountains of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan Coconut Milk Ice Cream, which is something of a celebrated local treat.
It was a tasty introduction to some creative Thai cooking which the chefs seemed as energised about as the diners. And it was refreshing to learn something about the local area. As Stix pointed out, there’s no reason something as enjoyable as a dining experience shouldn’t also be a learning opportunity. Of course it makes total sense, if you’ve flown all the way to another country, why wouldn’t you try the local produce? The 100-mile radius for the Santiburi kitchens takes in Koh Samui and neighbouring islands as well as the mainland town of Surat Thani, so there’s plenty of produce for chefs to work with.
The same level of care has been lent to the cocktail menu, with drinks crafted using Samui rum from the island’s Magic Alambic Rum Distillery. This is Koh Samui’s only home-grown rum and is made from pure first-press sugarcane juice. The cocktail mixes included Island Spice with fresh ginger, a Herbal Collins using Saneha gin and basil, and Coco Beach, a mix of Samui rum, banana and coconut milk.
It was a tasty evening and interesting to experience Thai food away from the predictable massaman currys and sticky mango rice - and fortunately the resort also boasts one of the island’s largest pools in which to work off the excess calories the following day.
The 100 Miles Dining Experience is available at Sala Thai, Santiburi Koh Samui, priced at THB2,900 per person with optional wine pairing at THB1,250 per person. A Stay and Dine @ Sala Thai package is available for all room types at Santiburi Koh Samui, starting from THB8,850 including daily breakfast for two, a complimentary 100 Miles Dining Set Dinner at Sala Thai for two and a 20% discount on Sala Thai’s a la carte menu.
Asia Family Traveller was a guest of Sala Thai at Santiburi Koh Samui.
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